Winter’s final encore? More snow for parts of U.S.

A jogger runs on the Washington Monument grounds in Washington, Monday, March 17, 2014. Snow has been falling in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as winter-weary motorists faced another potentially treacherous commute Monday morning, just days before the start of spring. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The equestrian statue of President Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington is seen covered in snow after an overnight snow front hit the metro area, prompting area schools the federal and local governments to close, Monday, March 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

With the Lincoln Memorial in the background, snow is cleared around the World War II Memorial in Washington, Monday, March 17, 2014. Snow has been falling in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as winter-weary motorists faced another potentially treacherous commute Monday morning, just days before the start of spring. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Gary Staples of Washington, clears of snow off of his car near Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, March 17, 2014. Snow has been falling in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as winter-weary motorists faced another potentially treacherous commute Monday morning, just days before the start of spring. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

A wreath is covered with snow near the World War II Memorial in Washington, Monday, March 17, 2014. Snow has been falling in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as winter-weary motorists faced another potentially treacherous commute Monday morning, just days before the start of spring. The Washington Monument is at right. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON: With a harsh winter that closed the federal government, schools and offices for several days this year, Washington and other parts of the U.S. seemed to be getting used to digging out of the snow and cold as yet another storm blew into Mid-Atlantic and up the East Coast on Monday.

With spring just days away, the commute on Washington’s Metro transit system was light. Sidewalks were cleared faster than in past storms. More homeowners and businesses had given up on snow shovels in favor of snow blowers to clear sidewalks. Airports saw some cancellations, but runways were reopening by midmorning.

With the temperature rising, the latest snow was likely to turn into a slushy mess faster as well.

At least a few inches of snow were reported in the Washington area and parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For Philadelphia, the 4.5 inches of snow that fell as of 8 a.m. made this winter the second-snowiest on record. The National Weather Service said 67.4 inches had fallen so far for 2013-14.

Snowfall at Dulles airport in Sterling, Va., totaled 10 inches at 10 a.m., the agency said. Accumulations in the region reached as high as 11 inches in the Montgomery County, Md., community of Hillandale, about 10 miles north of Washington.

Some people still had to make it to work on time, though.

With her bank set to open on time, Joanne Swift of Suitland, Md., took a bus to the Metro to get to work downtown. As she made her way across a slick sidewalk, she declared what was on the mind of many this winter: “I am tired of the weather!”

“I really thought we had already made that turn into spring,” she said. “But it’s not piled high, so I guess this is reasonably OK.”

In northern Virginia, state police said at least four people were being treated for serious injuries after a weather-related wreck. A commercial passenger bus overturned about 4 a.m. Monday on Interstate 95 in Stafford County. The driver, 50-year-old Qilong Xioa of Flushing, N.Y., was charged with reckless driving, police said. The bus carried was carrying 58 passengers from New York to Doraville, Ga.

In Falls Church, Va., Mike Miller spun out twice on the highway about 3 a.m. in what turned out to be a one-hour drive to open up a Sunoco gas station. But no one was hurt, and Miller remained in good spirits.

“It’s still technically winter until the 20th,” he said, referring to the first day of spring. “There are places where it snows year round. Just deal with it.”

Stephen Moore, 46, who works for the State Department, had pulled out his cross-country skis and was taking the Metro down to the National Mall, where he hoped there’d be enough snow to put them to use.

“I’m assuming this is the last snow of the year,” Moore said.

In New Jersey, as much as 7.5 inches of snow was reported, and classes were delayed or canceled at schools across the state’s southern half.

Winter’s return follows several days of spring-like temperatures. Richard Windsor of Jackson, N.J., said he was not that impressed by the new system. Previous storms this season dropped 10 or more inches of snow in the state.

“I figure if I made it through the stronger storms, I can handle this,” Windsor said

Forecasters cannot say whether this year’s winter weather will finally end with the official start of spring Thursday. They note that snowstorms are typical through March.